Home Office

Slavery

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: To ask His Majesty's Government how manyindividualsreferred to the National Referral Mechanism for modern slaveryafter arriving in the UK irregularly since January 2022 have been given (1) a positive reasonable grounds decision, (2) a negative reasonable grounds decision, (3) a positive conclusive grounds decision, and (4) a negative conclusive grounds decision.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes statistics on irregular arrivals to the UK, including those arriving via small boats, in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release on gov.uk. Data on National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals from small boat arrivals and the outcomes of these referrals is published in tables Irr_D04 and Irr_D05 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of May 2023.The Home Office does not publish data on modern slavery referrals for other irregular arrivals, or data on the nature or location of the exploitation.Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets (xlsx, 1261.9KB)

Slavery

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: To ask His Majesty's Government how manyindividualsreferred to the National Referral Mechanism for modern slavery after arriving in the UK irregularly since January 2022were referred because of (1) exploitation which happened in the UK, and (2) trafficking to the UK.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes statistics on irregular arrivals to the UK, including those arriving via small boats, in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release on gov.uk. Data on National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals from small boat arrivals and the outcomes of these referrals is published in tables Irr_D04 and Irr_D05 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of May 2023.The Home Office does not publish data on modern slavery referrals for other irregular arrivals, or data on the nature or location of the exploitation.Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets (xlsx, 1261.9KB)

Asylum: Housing

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they provide WiFi access within asylum seekers' lodgings to enable them to communicate with family members.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The provision of Wi-Fi is not a contractual requirement across the asylum accommodation estate.

Domestic Abuse: Children

Lord Lexden: To ask His Majesty's Government whether all police forces in England, including the Metropolitan Police, work with independent schools in implementing Operation Encompass, through which schools and police work together in safeguarding children at risk from domestic abuse.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Operation Encompass is currently active in all 43 police forces across England and Wales. Implemented on a voluntary basis by police forces, the scheme works by directly connecting the police with schools. When officers have attended a domestic abuse incident, police share the information with a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) before the start of the next school day, so that appropriate support can be given at the earliest possible opportunity.Aligned with police forces’ operational independence, each police force operates the scheme differently, in terms of the notification pathway and which institutions receive notifications. Importantly, the scheme does not discriminate on what type of schools these notifications should be sent to.

Suicide: Greater London

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government how many suspicious, unnatural, untimely or unexplained deaths have been investigated by the Metropolitan Police since 2010 in which they ultimately determined the cause of death to be suicide, rather than a criminal act.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office does not hold the requested information. The Home Office will only receive information on a death if a criminal offence has been recorded by the police.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Listed Events Regime: Digital Rights Review

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the results of the Digital Rights Review 2022.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: We are undertaking a review to look at whether, in the face of technological change, the objectives of the existing regime are still being met and whether digital rights should now be included in the regime.In considering this issue, it is important that we maintain the right balance between access for audiences, and the commercial freedoms that allow rights holders to reinvest in their sport at all levels. This is a complex issue and it's important we get it right.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ethiopia: Somalia

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) relations between Ethiopia and Somalia, following the signing of the Ethiopia–Somaliland memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 1 January; and (2) the impact of that MoU on regional stability and efforts to combat Al-Shabaab.

Lord Benyon: Following the signing of the MoU, the UK expressed concern about escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa. Alongside international partners, we continue to encourage dialogue between Ethiopia and Somalia. We urge all parties in the region to avoid escalation and any action that threatens stability. Tackling al-Shabaab remains one of the UK's top international counter-terrorism priorities. We continue to work with Somali and international partners to strengthen the response to the terrorist threat posed by al-Shabaab in Somalia and the region.

Gaza: Ceasefires

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel to discontinue their military action in Palestine, and what steps they are taking to assist Palestinian civilians.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.Vital steps include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have reiterated these messages in their contacts with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, as well as leaders in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in recent weeks.Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.. We have trebled our aid commitment for this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings.We have reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza.The Foreign Secretary has appointed a Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mark Bryson-Richardson. He is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.

China: Foreign Relations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have madeto the government of the People's Republic of China, including in discussions between theForeign Secretary and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, regarding the case of British citizen Jimmy Lai.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of thePeople's Republic of China, including in discussions between the Foreign Secretary and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, to call for an end to transnational repression of Hong Kong people living in the United Kingdom, and the removal of bounties for their arrest.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the People's Republic of China, including in discussions between the Foreign Secretary and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference,to callfor the repeal of the Hong Kong national security law and the release of all political prisoners in Hong Kong.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: On 16 February, the Foreign Secretary met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference. In line with the Government's "protect, align, and engage" approach to China, as set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, the Foreign Secretary raised a number of issues important to the UK national interest. The Foreign Secretary reiterated his call for the release of British national Jimmy Lai and unambiguously set out the UK's position across a number of areas of disagreement, including on Hong Kong. On 17 December, the Foreign Secretary called on the Chinese authorities to repeal the National Security Law and end the prosecution of all individuals charged under it. We have been clear that we will not tolerate any attempts to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh in response to its statement on 7 February that it will not allow any more Rohingya refugees to enter the country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned about the escalation of fighting in Rakhine state, Myanmar, and the impact on civilians on both sides of the border with Bangladesh. We are monitoring the situation closely. UK officials in Dhaka continue to engage with the Government of Bangladesh and the United Nations on this issue. We will continue to support affected Rohingya and other communities in Rakhine and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The UK is a leading donor to the Rohingya response. Since 2017, we have provided over £373 million to Bangladesh and over £30 million for the Rohingya and other Muslim minorities in Myanmar.

China: Foreign Relations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of thePeople's Republic of China, including in discussions between the Foreign Secretary and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, to call for the immediate removal of sanctions against British parliamentarians who have raised concerns regarding human rights issues in China, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government considers China's sanctions to be completely unwarranted and unacceptable. When China imposed the sanctions in 2021, the former Minister for Asia summoned China's representative in the UK to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to lodge a strong, formal protest. We continue to urge the Chinese authorities at the highest levels to rescind the sanctions; the Foreign Secretary has called for their removal at both of his engagements with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi - in person at the Munich Security Conference on 16 February, and during their introductory call in December 2023. The former Foreign Secretary also consistently raised sanctioned Parliamentarians, including during his visit to Beijing in August 2023. The Government will continue to raise this issue in our engagement with China.

China: Foreign Relations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to place in the Library of the Housea full transcript of the discussions held between the Foreign Secretary and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: A summary of the discussion was published on gov.uk in the usual way. [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretarys-meeting-with-chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-february-2024]

Myanmar: Gems

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, has been made as to whether gems and precious stones from Myanmar sold by British retailers could have been used to finance the Myanmar military.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are clear that UK businesses trading with Myanmar should conduct thorough due diligence to ensure their operations are not benefiting the military regime. We have strengthened our Overseas Business Risk Guidance to warn companies of the risks associated with Myanmar's extractive sector. We will also continue to consider a range of sanctions targets that reduce the regime's access to finance, arms and equipment. To date, we have sanctioned the following mining companies for providing economic resources to the Myanmar Security Forces: Myanmar Gems Enterprise, Myanmar Pearl Enterprise, Mining Enterprise 1 and Mining Enterprise 2.

China: Foreign Relations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the People's Republic of China, including in discussions between the Foreign Secretary and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, regarding that country's behaviour towards Taiwan, including itsadjustment of flight routes in the Taiwan Strait.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and have underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside partners in previous G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' and Leaders' communiques.The UK's longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion.The UK has regular discussions within International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the importance of communication and coordination in the protection of air safety, especially when it comes to changes to airspace such as this.

Falkland Islands: Sovereignty

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent comments by the President and government of Argentina regarding the future status of the Falkland Islands.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to upholding the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination: only they can decide their own future. As the Foreign Secretary made clear on his recent visit to the Falkland Islands, as long as the Islanders wish to remain part of the UK family, there can be no discussions on sovereignty. The UK looks forward to developing a strong and constructive relationship with Argentina where we can agree to disagree politely on the issue of the Falkland Islands, but restart mutually beneficial co-operation on areas of shared interest.

Climate Change: Education

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to improve climate change education for 3 to 19 year-olds globally.

Lord Benyon: In 2022, the FCDO published a position paper, 'Addressing the Climate, Environment, and Biodiversity Crises in and through Girls' Education' [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/addressing-the-climate-environment-and-biodiversity-crises-in-and-through-girls-education/addressing-the-climate-environment-and-biodiversity-crises-in-and-through-girls-education]. This provides a framework of priority actions to build resilient and climate smart school systems. Increasingly, our bilateral education programmes are building in climate co-benefits, and we are working through global education funds to which we are leading donors - Global Partnership for Education and Education Cannot Wait - to do more on climate and education. At COP28 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UK co-led the Declaration for the Common Agenda for Education and Climate Change [https://www.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2023/12/Declaration-on-education-and-climate-change-en.pdf], and will work with signatories to accelerate action.

Department for Education

Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People Independent Review

Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green: To ask His Majesty's Government when the final Cass report will be published; and how recommendations from this report will be consolidated into the consultation on the Government’s Guidance for Schools and Colleges: Gender Questioning Children, published on 19 December 2023.

Baroness Barran: The Cass Review is an independent review of NHS provision and is responsible for its own timetable. It is not directly considering practice in schools. The aim of the review is to ensure that children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or are experiencing gender dysphoria, and who need NHS support, receive a high standard of care that meets their needs and is safe, holistic and effective.On 19 December 2023, the department published draft guidance for consultation. This consultation will run for twelve weeks and closes at 11:59pm on March 12 2024. The guidance applies to schools and colleges.Once the consultation closes, the department will assess the responses before finalising the guidance for publication. Ministers and officials have engaged with the Cass Review to understand the latest evidence and will continue to do so. This includes reflecting any relevant evidence and conclusions from the final report in the guidance should the timetable allow to do so.

Cabinet Office

British Constitution

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Neville-Rolfe on 13 September 2023 (HL10154), what steps the Deputy Prime Minister has taken to ensure that senior ministers are aware of, and have regard to, the core principles of the UK constitution, and what consultation there has been with the Lord Chancellor to ensure that the rule of law is upheld.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As set out in the Ministerial Code, there is an overarching duty on all ministers to comply with the law. Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to conduct themselves in light of the Code.

Government Departments: Departmental Coordination

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of progress on their Shared Services Strategy, and in particular whether this has delivered cost savings for the taxpayer; and what plans, if any, they have to provide an update on the current and future work of Government Shared Services.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Launched in March 2021, the Shared Services Strategy for Government aims to modernise the back office of government, enabling significant efficiency gains in critical business services such as HR, finance and commercial. There are now nineteen departments working together in five clusters that will form the shared service centres. Cluster shared service centres are all expected to be live in the next eighteen months. All departments will join a shared service centre by 2028 as current contracts expire to ensure value for money. Two of the five clusters are up and running, Overseas has realised over £120m in benefits so far and is now looking to expand and go further around automation to realise further efficiencies. The Minister of Defence is looking to move beyond the current civilian HR system to incorporate the military. The remaining three clusters all have initial approval and funding to go to the market. They are finalising procurements for technology and services and will bring business cases for approval in the coming months. Clusters estimate that all departments using shared services centres will reduce annual running costs by 20 per cent. Overall they currently estimate that the Strategy will realise more than £3bn of benefits over fifteen years. Direct cost savings are only one element of these benefits. Faster, automated and standardised systems will enable significant timesavings for Civil Servants and general efficiency gains across departments. The clustering model will also make future procurement cheaper and give more buying power than departments have on their own. During the next six months we expect clusters to submit business cases for approval, continue procurement and ultimately sign contracts.

Government Departments: Grants

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they routinely publish the details of grants and programmes referred to the Complex Grants Advice Panel for expert advice, and if not, whether they will consider doing so.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The details of the grant schemes referred to the Complex Grants Advice Panel are not routinely published and there are no plans to publish them. Many of the grant schemes that the Panel reviews are in the early stages of design and development. Some do not go ahead.As part of the transparency agenda, the Government grants management function collates and publishes data on grant schemes and awards from all government departments annually to show how public funds are spent through the grants funding mechanism. This data is published on gov.uk in March each year (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-grants-data-and-statistics). The data for 22/23 will be published on 21 March 2024.

Ministry of Defence

Navy: Aircraft Carriers

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to minimise reputational damage tothe UK’s Armed Forces capability, following recent issues regarding the material state of the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers.

The Earl of Minto: The recent issue on HMS Queen Elizabeth was identified during pre-sailing checks and is corrosion on a coupling on the starboard shaft caused through general wear and tear. It is not the same issue experienced by HMS Prince of Wales in 2022. It is not uncommon to have maintenance issues with state-of-the-art ships which contain complex engineering and technology. HMS Queen Elizabeth is a decade old and has thousands of miles under her hull, conducting operations around the world.As a replacement, HMS Prince of Wales was able to deploy to take part in Operation Steadfast Defender in seven days, which is a huge undertaking. This ability to rapidly deploy another carrier to an urgent task underlines the importance of having two aircraft carriers, providing flexibility and the ability to project power around the world.The Royal Navy continues to meet its operational commitments at home and abroad.

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government on what date they requested access to the 150 documents held by the Atomic Weapons Establishment concerning blood tests taken from British troops during radiation experiments; how many of the files requested were provided; and how many were withheld.

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to inform Parliament of their findings from their review of documents related to blood tests taken from British troops during radiation experiments.

The Earl of Minto: The Minister for Defence People and Families (the Rt Hon Dr Andrrew Murrison) asked officials at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) to review the 150 documents to enable his review of that information shortly before the debate on Nuclear Test Veterans: Medical Records on 28 November 2023. The Minister will personally assess all 150 documents when he visits AWE shortly and will consider their release into the public domain.

NATO: Finance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Donald Trump’s comments about NATO members and spending on defence.

The Earl of Minto: The UK’s commitment to NATO, and the principle of collective defence under Article V, is resolute. We expect all NATO Allies to come to the aid of others. The UK has led the conversation on defence spending at NATO. Since the NATO Defence Investment Pledge, which Leaders agreed in Newport Wales in 2014, European Allies and Canada have invested heavily on Defence and will have added more $600 billion by the end of this year. Now is the time for all Allied and democratic nations across the world to ensure their defence spending is growing.

Department for Business and Trade

Tata Steel: Port Talbot

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government how they are intending to alleviate and assist with the impact of job losses caused by the closure of Port Talbot Steelworks.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The Port Talbot steelworks are not closing. Tata Steel’s £1.25 billion transformation plan will see the UK Government providing a £500 million grant towards the joint investment, to build an Electric Arc Furnace at Port Talbot and ensure steelmaking continues into the future.We are ensuring support for staff affected by the transition, working with Welsh Government and Tata Steel to provide up to £100 million of funding for a dedicated Transition Board, supporting impacted employees and the local economy. Tata has also announced that they will provide a £130 million comprehensive support package for affected employees.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services: Children

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government how many children have required NHS care as a result of (1) tooth decay, (2) Type 2 diabetes, and (3) musculoskeletal conditions, in the past 12 months for which data is available.

Lord Markham: Whilst data on musculoskeletal conditions is not held in the form requested, the below table shows published data for 2022/23 where the main reason the patient was admitted to hospital was for dental caries or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Primary diagnosisAge 0Age 1-4Age 5-9Age 10-14Age 15Age 16Age 17Dental caries24,66919,5607,802782671503Type 2 diabetes mellitus001888383924Source: Hospital Episode Statistics Inpatient Data (Diagnosis Annex) from 2022-23NotesData is provided in respect of hospital inpatient activity, which will be a sub-set of the total number of patients receiving care.Data does not account for NHS care provided in a primary care setting.

Dental Services

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that dental services are represented in the governance structures of integrated care systems.

Lord Markham: From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.ICBs are required to publish their constitution, which includes a list of ICB board members, in accordance with the Health and Care Act 2022. ICBs have made board member information, including members’ expertise and knowledge, publicly available on their websites.The Health and Care Act 2022 sets out membership requirements of the ICBs that include representatives from NHS trusts, primary care, and local authorities. However, the local areas can go beyond the legislative minimum requirements in order to address their local needs. Most ICBs have used this discretion, and appointed additional members such as members for public health, voluntary, community and social enterprise representatives, and others based on their local area needs.

Maternity Services: Staff

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of understaffing in maternity units on levels of bullying, as highlighted in the #Saynotobullyinginmidwifery report published on 12 November 2023.

Lord Markham: The National Health Service takes bullying and harassment very seriously. All employers across the NHS should have a robust policy on bullying, outlining how it should be handled, and the support available to staff.In June 2023, NHS England published their Equality Diversity and Inclusion Improvement Plan which set out a series of high impact actions, including the requirement for NHS organisations to review data by protected characteristics on bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence, and to develop plans to improve staff experience. This includes promoting environments where staff feel they are able to speak up and raise concerns. NHS England has also developed an NHS Civility and Respect programme to tackle bullying and harassment in the NHS, and to create a culture of civility and respect.Since 2021, the Government has invested an additional £165 million a year to improve maternity and neonatal care, which will rise to an additional £186 million a year from 2024/25, with part year effect in 2023/24. This will improve the quality of care for mothers and babies and increase the number of midwifery posts available.NHS England has established a nursing and midwifery retention programme, supporting organisations to assess themselves against a bundle of interventions aligned to the People Promise, and to use the outcome of this to develop a high-quality retention improvement plan locally.A key part of our strategy is the Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme to support perinatal leadership teams to develop the conditions for a positive culture of safety and continuous improvement. It aims to improve the quality of care by enabling leaders to drive change with a better understanding of the relationship between leadership, safety improvement, and safety culture.£2.8 million has been invested into the Perinatal Culture and Leadership Development Programme, which will support multi-professional teams from across maternity and neonatal services, to take time out together. It will create space for team and individual reflection and re-design, with a common purpose.In January 2021, a new £500,000 fund for Maternity Leadership Training was announced for NHS maternity and neonatal leaders. The training aims to equip leaders with a range of skills and knowledge to address poor workplace culture and facilitate collaborative working between nurses, doctors, midwives and obstetricians.

Avoidant/restrictive Food Intake Disorder: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the Worcestershire and Herefordshire Integrated Care Board will make available services to people suffering from Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

Lord Markham: It is for integrated care boards to determine what specific services they commission, based on local needs and national guidance. NHS England continues to work with eating disorder services and local commissioners to improve access to treatment for all children and young people with a suspected eating disorder including those presenting with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).NHS England recognises the importance of making available services to people suffering from ARFID. The children and young people’s eating disorder guidance is being updated to reflect this, with publication expected later in 2024. NHS England also advises that all eating disorder teams should work collaboratively with other community teams to address coexisting and co-occurring conditions as needed.

Neurology: Health Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of new optimal clinical pathways for those with neurological conditions.

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to work with NHS England, commissioners and providers to use the new optimal clinical pathways for the benefit of patients with neurological conditions.

Lord Markham: New optimal clinical pathways for a range of neurological conditions were developed by the National Neurosciences Advisory Group (NNAG). These pathways set out what good treatment, care and support should look like across a range of neurological conditions. They also help to guide and facilitate the commissioning of high-quality, effective neurology services by integrated care boards (ICBs). The optimal clinical pathways are published on the NNAG website in an online-only format.No formal assessment has been made of the potential impact of the new optimal clinical pathways for those with neurological conditions. The Department is working with the NHS England Neurology Transformation Programme in developing a toolkit of resources for ICB commissioners. The NHS England toolkit includes reference to the new optimal clinical pathways developed by the NNAG, signposting them as a resource for use in the continued development of local services.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they submitted any cross appeal on the finding of the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in the matter of an application by James Allister and others that the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland created an inconsistency with Article 6 of the Acts of Union.

Lord Caine: In its judgement on appeal of this case on 8 February 2023, the Supreme Court did not make a specific determination on this point. The Court rightly focused on the sovereignty of Parliament and affirmed, as Article Six of the Acts of Union itself recognised, ‘that it is the most fundamental rule of UK constitutional law’.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

National Security Online Information Team

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the National Security Online Information Team does not target individuals in the course of its work.

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the National Security Online Information Team has trusted flagger status with any social media companies.

Viscount Camrose: The National Security and Online Information Team (NSOIT) tackles online attempts to manipulate the information environment while respecting the right to free speech, by only monitoring themes and trends - not individuals. The team is focused on threats posed by foreign states as well as risks to election integrity. NSOIT has policies and procedures in place, in accordance with all applicable legislation, to ensure that individuals are not monitored. In the limited circumstances where personal data might be inadvertently processed as part of NSOIT’s work, for example where personal data is embedded in text and cannot be automatically anonymised from social media posts, the team complies with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR and Coordinated inauthentic behaviour. As is the case with a range of national and international public and academic bodies, DSIT has trusted flagger status with the major social media platforms. NSOIT will only flag a social media post where that is in line with ministerial approved remits, the post appears to be in breach of the platform’s terms of service and is likely to cause harm. Social media platforms decide whether or not content is a breach of their terms of service and, if so, what action to take.

National Security Online Information Team

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to grant the Intelligence and Security Committee oversight of the National Security Online Information Team.

Viscount Camrose: The role and remit of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (the ISC) is set out in the Justice and Security Act 2013 and accompanying Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the Committee and the Prime Minister. The ISC oversees the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of MI5, SIS, GCHQ, Defence Intelligence, the Joint Intelligence Organisation, the National Security Secretariat and Homeland Security Group. The National Security and Online Information Team is already overseen by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee in the House of Commons and the Science and Technology Committee in the House of Lords. Consequently, there are no plans to grant the ISC additional oversight of NSOIT’s work.

Department for Work and Pensions

Household Support Fund

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of endingthe Household Support Fund on 31 March on (1) the number of people experiencing destitution, and (2) wider public services including the NHS, social care and homelessness services.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The current Household Support Fund runs from April 2023 until the end of March 2024, and the Government continues to keep all its existing programmes under review in the usual way. The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. Our approach to tackling poverty is based on clear evidence that parental employment, particularly where its full time, reduces the risk of poverty. In the financial year 21/22, children living in households where all adults work were around five times less likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those living in workless households. The Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with earnings, as part of the ‘triple lock”. To further support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the Government will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6 million low-income households by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.

Household Support Fund

Baroness Thornhill: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of ending the Household Support Fund on 31 March on (1) the number of people experiencing destitution, and (2) wider public services including the NHS, social care, and homelessness services.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The current Household Support Fund runs from April 2023 until the end of March 2024, and the Government continues to keep all its existing programmes under review in the usual way. The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families.Our approach to tackling poverty is based on clear evidence that parental employment, particularly where its full time, reduces the risk of poverty. In the financial year 21/22, children living in households where all adults work were around five times less likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those living in workless households. The Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with earnings, as part of the ‘triple lock”. To further support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the Government will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6 million low-income households by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Nuclear Power: Imports

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that, in future, the United Kingdom will not have to rely on foreign suppliers of nuclear technology.

Lord Callanan: It is an exciting time for GBN as we are running an SMR competition to identify those technologies best able to facilitate 2029 FID decisions and deliver projects in the mid-2030s. GBN is seeking technology partners that will provide design and development of various products, equipment or services related to the key plant required for SMR nuclear generation.

Nuclear Reactors: Testing

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to designate sites where new nuclear reactors can be tested and established, and how the processes of certification will be expedited.

Lord Callanan: We are developing a new nuclear National Policy Statement (NPS) and have launched a consultation on a proposed siting policy, which includes greater flexibility in where nuclear power stations can be located. The Government’s Nuclear Roadmap has set out plans to streamline future nuclear development to make Britian the best place in the world to invest in nuclear.

Hinkley Point C Power Station: Construction

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the expected timescale from the decision to proceed with Hinkley Point C until it is providing power to the grid.

Lord Callanan: Hinkley Point C is not a government project and EDF is responsible for delivery with the developers being responsible for any cost and schedule overruns and not UK taxpayers or consumers. On 23 January 2024, EDF announced a revised schedule that projected that Hinkley Point C would start generating between 2029 and 2031.

Nuclear Reactors: Contracts for Services

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that in the competition to find the best modular reactor the support from agencies of the government of the United States and large US commercial enterprises for US designs will not place Rolls-Royce at a disadvantage.

Lord Callanan: The 2022 British Energy Security Strategy set out our ambition to deploy up to 24 Gigawatts of civil nuclear generation by 2050, around 25% of our projected 2050 electricity demand. GBN is running an SMR technology selection process to select those technologies best able to facilitate Final Investment Decisions in the next Parliament and be operational by the mid-2030s. In November 2021, Government announced £210m in new funding for Rolls-Royce SMR, awarded through the Low-Cost Nuclear challenge. This investment was to further develop SMR design and take it through the regulatory processes to assess suitability of potential deployment in the UK.

Rolls-Royce: Nuclear Reactors

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the design of the Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor.

Lord Callanan: Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (RRSMR) was given a grant of £210m in the Low-Cost Nuclear award in 2021 and is one of six selected technologies, in the first phase of the Great British Nuclear Technology Selection Process aiming to identify technologies best able to reach a project Final Investment Decision by the end of 2029 and deliver projects in the mid-2030s. In April 2022, the regulators began a Generic Design Assessment (GDA) looking at the safety, security, and environmental impact of the RRSMR reactor design. The regulators concluded in April 2023, that all required activities for Step 1 of the RRSMR GDA have been completed and progressed to Step 2.

Rolls-Royce: Nuclear Reactors

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of risk of declining to adopt the Rolls-Royce reactor for the future of Britain’s nuclear industry.

Lord Callanan: It is our ambition to deploy up to 24 Gigawatts of civil nuclear generation by 2050, around 25% of our projected 2050 electricity demand.GBN is running an SMR technology selection process to select those technologies best able to facilitate Final Investment Decisions in the next Parliament and be operational by the mid-2030s. Through the Advanced Nuclear Fund, the Government has awarded up to £210m to support development of the Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design. The Rolls-Royce SMR entered the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process in March 2022, becoming the first SMR to begin UK nuclear regulation. In April 2023, the Rolls-Royce SMR progressed to Step 2 of GDA.

Energy: Prices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Cornwall Insight’s forecast of a 15 per cent reduction in the household energy price cap in the second quarter of this year; and what steps they will take to further alleviate the financial burden on households.

Lord Callanan: The setting of the default tariff (price) cap is a matter for Ofgem.On 23 February Ofgem confirmed the price cap is to be £1,690 for the second quarter of this year, which is a reduction of 12% on the previous quarter and the lowest level for two years. The Government has a package of targeted cost of living support for households and is increasing pensions and the national living wage.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Cattle: Methane

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they aretaking to support the reduction of methane in the cattle sector.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Achieving the net zero target is a priority for the Government. The Net Zero Growth Plan and Environmental Improvement Plan set out a range of specific commitments to further reduce emissions from agriculture. To deliver towards these we are developing a range of measures through the Agriculture Act and our farming policy, all with the aim of enabling farmers to optimise sustainable food production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Defra considers that Methane Suppressing Feed Products (MSFPs) are an essential tool to decarbonise the agriculture sector. In England, our objective is to establish a mature market for these products, encourage uptake and mandate the use of MSFPs in appropriate cattle systems as soon as feasibly possible and no later than 2030. We are committed to working with farmers and industry to achieve this goal, and in early March will convene the inaugural meeting of a Ministerial-led industry taskforce on MSFPs. In 2023, Defra launched the second round of the Slurry Infrastructure Grants in England, offering £74 million to farmers to improve their slurry stores. As a condition of the grant, farmers are required to cover slurry stores with impermeable covers to minimise ammonia and methane emissions. The grant can also be used for projects which aid methane recovery (the grant does not fund the methane recovery element itself). The Environment Agency has published a corresponding regulatory position statement (RPS 259, copy attached), which sets out a clear regulatory framework to allow methane capture from slurry under suitable circumstances.HL2674 Attachment - RPS 259 (pdf, 204.1KB)

Food Supply

The Earl of Effingham: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the underlying causes of food insecurity in the UK.

Lord Douglas-Miller: This Government takes the issue of food security very seriously. Tackling inflation is one of this Government’s priorities. Inflation has more than halved, but it remains a challenge which is why we continue to monitor all key agricultural commodities and work with the food industry to address the challenges they face. Consumer food prices depend on a range of factors including agri-food import prices, domestic agricultural prices, domestic labour and manufacturing costs, and Sterling exchange rates. Some of these factors are influenced by our trading arrangements with other countries. Changes in food prices are dependent on changes in one or more of these factors. Through regular engagement, Defra will continue to work with food businesses throughout the supply chain to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food. For example, by maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing measures. The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 73% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply. Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.

Treasury

Northern Ireland Executive: Finance

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the warning from the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council that Stormont will face a financial "cliff-edge" in 2026 when money from the Government support package runs out.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The UK Government is providing the Northern Ireland Executive with a significant funding settlement of over £3.3 billion. This will support the Executive to stabilise public finances and public services in Northern Ireland.In the longer term, the UK Government has committed to open discussions on a new fiscal framework for Northern Ireland and to introduce a new needs-based factor which will provide a 24% uplift on future Barnett consequentials for the Northern Ireland Executive from 2024-25.

Banks: Taxation

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to implementing a windfall tax on the excess profits of UK banks.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Banks already face an additional rate of tax on their profits in the form of the Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge – meaning they pay 3 percentage points more on their profits (28%) than most other businesses (25%). This is in addition to a charge on the largest banks’ balance sheets in the form of the Bank Levy.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Inter Faith Network: Finance

Baroness Sherlock: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the letter of 19 January from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to the Inter Faith Network (IFN) about the possible withdrawal of the offer of funding for the financial year 2023–24, what representations they have received from theIFN in response to the Minister's letter; what reply they have made, if any, to these representations; andwhen a final decision will be taken on funding for IFN's work during the currentfinancial year.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: On 19 January, the Secretary of State wrote to the Inter Faith Network (IFN) informing them that he was minded to withdraw the offer of funding for 2023/24. This is in view of a member of the Muslim Council of Britain being appointed to the IFN’s Board of Trustees.Representations made by the IFN were considered by the Secretary of State. This included the role of their trustees and the process of appointing trustees to their board, and what the effect of withdrawing government funding might be.The Secretary of State concluded that these points were outweighed by the need to maintain the government’s long-standing stance on engagement with the MCB, and the reputational risk involved.This Government is supportive of efforts by faith groups and others to bring together people of different faiths and beliefs.

Housing Ombudsman Service: Landlords

Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe: To ask His Majesty's Government why they have designatedthe Housing Ombudsman the preferred provider of the Landlord Ombudsman Service without an open and transparent process to find the best provider.

Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe: To ask His Majesty's Government whether financial support has been provided to the Housing Ombudsman in relation to the Landlord Ombudsman Service and, if so, the amount and the terms under which it has been provided.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: I refer the Noble Lord to my oral response on 18 January 2024 (Official Report, HoL, Volume 835, Column 471).The Renters (Reform) Bill allows the Government to select a scheme through an open competition, or appoint a provider to deliver a designated scheme. As the Minister of State for Levelling Up announced at Commons Committee stage of the Bill, the Government’s preference at this time is to deliver the PRS Ombudsman through the Housing Ombudsman Service (“HOS”), who provide social housing redress.Following this announcement, we are working with HOS to explore what a streamlined redress service could look like. This work is in its early stages and we will engage with the sector during the process.HOS has not been appointed as PRS Landlord Ombudsman administrator to run a designated scheme. A final decision on the provider will be made in due course. Official Report. HoL, Volume 835 (pdf, 135.4KB)